St Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church Seattle, Washington

On this day, God sent His honorable angel Gabriel to announce to St. Joachim of the birth of the Virgin, the mother of the incarnated God. This righteous man and his wife St. Anna (Hannah) were stricken in years and had no children for Anna was barren. The children of Israel used to insult him because he had not begotten a son. Because of this, these two saints were sad, and prayed continually, and entreated God by day and by night. They vowed that the child they would beget would be made a steward for the temple. While St. Joachim was praying over the mountain, he fell into a deep sleep and Gabriel, the angel of the Lord, appeared to him and announced to him that his wife Anna would conceive and bear a child, that would delight his eyes and please his heart; and likewise all the world would rejoice and be glad. When he woke from his sleep, he came to his house, and told his wife about the vision, which she believed. Anna conceived forthwith, and brought forth our Lady, the Virgin Mary, and St. Anna became more honorable than all the women of the world.

May her intercession be with us. Amen.

On this day also, of the year 193 A.M. (July 31, 477 A.D.) St. Timothy II, the twenty-sixth Pope of the See of St. Mark, departed. This father was chosen for the Patriarchate after the departure of the striving father Pope Dioscorus on the third of Babah, 172 A.M. (October 1, 455 A.D.). He suffered many hardships for the sake of preserving the Orthodox faith. Emperor Leo, the Great, banished him to the island of Gagra (Gangra), in Paphlognia (Pavlagonia), where he was detained for seven years until he was returned by Emperor Leo, the Less, with great honor. He spent the rest of his days in establishing the faithful in the Orthodox faith. He departed in peace after he spent twenty-one years and ten months on the throne of St. Mark.

May his blessings be with us and Glory be to God forever. Amen.